Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena.
A modern Plena with edge-to-edge bokeh circles. Nikon's most-praised S-line release — the headshot lens that justifies the Z system on its own.
The Verdict.
Gavler Meta-Score
“Nikon's most flattering portrait lens and, per Photography Life, the sharpest-cornered they have ever tested — with bokeh circles that stay round to the frame edge. The catch: it is 'optimized for focus accuracy rather than focus speed,' so it shines on deliberate, posed portraits and struggles with fast action, and its 135mm reach needs room to back up.”
The Gavler Verdict
Where to Buy.
Prices checked regularly
90-day price history
Price History
Steady at $2,499 for the entire 90-day tracking window — no increases, no discounts, across 67 tracked days.
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Precision Engineering
Sharpest Corners Photography Life Has Measured
Over 3000 line-widths per picture height at f/4 and f/5.6 — the highest corner resolution the outlet has recorded from any lens it has tested.
Plena Round-Bokeh Design
Optically corrected so specular highlights stay perfectly circular to the frame edge instead of collapsing into cat's-eye shapes.
Record-Low Vignetting for f/1.8
Photography Life found almost no corner falloff even wide open at infinity — what it called 'record-breaking quality for an f/1.8 lens.'
Technical Specifications
The Scoreboard
9.1 reflects standout expert measurements — record corner sharpness and vignetting control from Photography Life — balanced against a narrower use case: a 135mm needs distance, and accuracy-over-speed autofocus rules it out for sports. Community and expert scores sit close; owners rate it a specialist that is peerless within its lane.
Cast Your Vote
Do you think Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena deserves the #6 spot in Best Portrait Lenses?
Global Critique
“the Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 Plena has the sharpest corners of any lens that we have reviewed yet at Photography Life, measuring over 3000 LW/PH at both f/4 and f/5.6.”
“This is record-breaking quality for an f/1.8 lens. We have never seen anything like it at Photography Life before.”
“The specular highlights in the background appear as smooth circles with no distracting internal texture, even at the edge of the frame. Some lenses will distort circles in the corners into a cat's-eye shape – not the Plena!”
“It's simply the case that the Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 Plena is optimized for focus accuracy rather than focus speed... It wouldn't be my first choice for photographing a sprinter running toward me.”
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